Priyanka Deka v. The State of Assam and 3 Ors

ORDER Date : 25.11.2024

Heard Mr. A. Choudhury, learned Senior Counsel assisted by Ms. B. Choudhury, learned counsel for the applicant. The applicant, herein, as petitioner, had instituted WP(C)5862/2024, interalia, assailing the initiation of departmental proceeding against her. The Co-ordinate Bench of this Court, vide order dated 13.11.2024 while issuing notice in the matter, had also issued notice on the interim prayer making it returnable by 06.12.2024. After passing of the said order dated 13.11.2024, the applicant was served with a communication dated 16.11.2024, issued by the Enquiry Officer, appointed in the departmental proceeding so initiated against her, requiring her to appear before him on 26.11.2024, leading to the institution of the present Interlocutory application. It has been brought to the notice of this Court, in similar matters; the Co-ordinate Benches of this Court have stayed the continuation of the departmental proceeding instituted against persons, similarly situated like the applicant herein. However, considering the fact that the Co-ordinate Bench of this Court, vide the order dated 13.11.2024 in WP(C)5862/2024, has fixed the matter on 06.12.2024 for consideration of the interim prayers made in the writ petition, this Court, hereby directs that till 06.12.2024, the Enquiry Officer and/or the disciplinary authority of the applicant, in terms of the communication dated 16.11.2024, shall not insist upon the presence of the petitioner in the enquiry and shall not proceed further in the enquiry so instituted in respect of the applicant, herein, till

06.12.2024. The proceeding in the departmental enquiry instituted against the Page No.# 3/3 petitioner shall be so guided by the order(s) that would be so passed on

06.12.2024 in WP(C)5862/2024. With the above observations and directions, the Interlocutory application stands disposed of.

JUDGE Comparing Assistant

PageoNo.#o1/3 GAHC010248642024 ooooooo ooooooooooooooo ooooooooooooooooTHEoGAUHATIoHIGHoCOURTo (HIGHoCOURToOFoASSAM,oNAGALAND,oMIZORAMoANDoARUNACHALoPRADESH)o CaseoNo.o:oI.A.(Civil)/3612/2024o PRIYANKAoDEKAo W/OoBIKASHoTALUKDAR,oRESIDENToOFoBARKURIHAoVILLAGEoNEARo GOPINATHoMANDIR,oMOROWAoKAMALPURoROAD,oPOoNALBARI,oPSoANDo DISToNALBARI,oASSAMo781348. VERSUSo THEoSTATEoOFoASSAMoANDo3oORSo REPRESENTEDoBYoTHEoADDITIONALoCHIEFoSECRETARYoTOoTHEoGOVT.o OFoASSAM,oHOMEoANDoPOLITICALoDEPARTMENT,oDISPURoGUWAHATIo 781006. 2:THEoCOMMISSIONERoANDoSECRETARY oGOVT.oOFoASSAM oFINANCEo(TAXATION)oDEPARTMENT oDISPURoGUWAHATIo06 3:THEoSECRETARYoTOoTHEoGOVT.oOFoASSAM oFINANCEoDEPARTMENT oDISPURoGUWAHATIo781006 4:THEoADDITIONALoSECRETARYoTOoTHEoGOVT.oOFoASSAM oFINANCEo(TAXATION)oDEPARTMENT oDISPURoGUWAHATIo78100o AdvocateoforotheoPetitionerooooo:oMRoAoCHOWDHURY,oMR.oSoDUTTA,IMSENKALA,MS.oBo CHOWDHURY,MRoAoCHOWDHURYo AdvocateoforotheoRespondento:oGA,oASSAM,oSC,oFINANCEoANDoTAXATIONoo oooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo Page No.# 2/3 BEFORE HONOURABLE MR. JUSTICE N. UNNI KRISHNAN NAIR